Since there isn't a "early-early dev" forum, I'm posting this here and hoping this will help me reach my goal of having a playable alpha soon. Since I started from the libtcod tutorial, somethings came with the package, some others will require a bit of 'fixing' the engine.
On to the game!
The elevator pitch :
CARL is a sci-fi themed action rogue-lite, where you play a clone, and it's degenerated clones, where you can switch between real time and turn based.
Main distinguishing features :
- The Chronogine : a device that allows the player to 'make time relative', or in game play terms, switch between real-time and turn-based... As long as it has charges. The device charges by moving around, and with time you get more attuned to it, spending less charges with each use and winning charges faster.
- Cloning! When your player dies, you return to where you last encountered a cloning device, with a new clone. Clones aren't always perfect, and mutations occur. Some good (one extra tentacle is always a good help when fighting hordes of monsters) some bad (well... You weren't using that leg that much, were you?). The actions of your predecessor won't disappear when you die, but your knowledge of the world is limited to how much you knew when you cloned yourself (and so is your equipment and stats.. when the cloning goes right).
Other features :
- simple controls : WASD + mouse (left button fires, right button turns the chronogine On/Off) + Action Key
- weapon upgrades via firmware
- player perks (movement speed, increased damage, dual wield, etc)
- PGC permanent maps
- ID game with weapons / firmware / console commands (this is a feature I wish to implement but still haven't gotten to completely consider and might remove later if it proves to be too hard/not fun)
- a plotline! With a actual sci-fi/horror story.
on the Road to Alpha, this are the features I'm still missing (and as soon as I implement each of them I'll update the thread), by order of implementation:
-> permanent levels and backtracking
-> fix weapons
-> add a 'weapon inventory' that you can cycle through with the mouse wheel done
-> no random weapon drops, but fixed levels for weapons
-> weapon usage expends ammo done
-> enemies drop ammo (see next point)
-> corpse looting
-> loot both enemies and previous clones
-> better feedback
-> add player stats to screen
-> make shots visible
-> degeneration!
-> basic degeneration (every clone has a high % to have slightly worse stats than its 'progenitor')
-> mutations! (a chance to mutate with gameplay consequences)
I think this covers it. Thoughts?
Would you wish to play this game?
Can you tell my favorite game is Doom without me saying that among the weapons there will be a Chainsaw and a Super Shotgun?
Will I fail miserably?
Will Krice consider this a roguelike? (wait, I read enough threads to know the answer to this one: no.)
[edited to add control scheme]
[edited to mark weapons as partially done]